Devils Lake inter-ocean. (Devils Lake, Ramsey Co., Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1905, 1887-12-31

lowed oy the others. the fence was nina
OF ten feet high and was no slight obsta-
Gle, but it vas oon passed and then fol.
lowed a most desperate and exciting
chase.
All Of this took but a moment. The
negro walters had kept perfectly quiet.
looking on the proceedings with the great
est interest, aud only beginning to scream
when the noise outside convinced them
that they might e. well contribute their
share. Bufum had Just succeeded In
opening the last door, and fingtng it wide
with an impatient "Thsre, now," when
the thrilling ouecry from below warned
him that his own departure must be no
longer delayed. Fry and myself had been
engagedin securing the jailer, who, though
old, was powerful, nnd fought vigorously,
but had not finished when We were warned
by. the uproar that all thought Of q quiet
departure was at an end, and that there
Wal no longer a motive III holding on to
Turner. We all rushed down stairs as best
We could, we'll knowing that we would
now be Last in the flight, which was not
the post of safety. The dcscrtcr passed
Us all like q tiger on the lcap-I never saw
such speed in q narrow place-and getting
to the back door found two guards await
ing him with bayonets at the charge. He
seized one in each hand, cutting himself
severely, but finging them aside so forri-
bly, that the men were very nearly over
thrown, and then with the same swiftness
continued over the fence and on to the
woods, soon being In advance of all the
fugitivcs. I learned that he escaped to
Washington, but months after returning
south secretly to visit his family, was cap
tured, recognized aud hanged.
Buffum followed after him and got over
the fence with difficulty, but though a
very brave man aud a hard fighter, he
was a poor runner One Confederate,
who was quito swift footed, kept right
after him, gaining considerably, and
threatening to shoot him IT he did not
stop. To this Buffum paid no attention,
for a running man has an unsteady hand
and no certain aim, but he soon stopped
because Of exhaustion. just az the man
overlook him. Now Buffum thought it
the right time to try his yankee witt"
so he threw himself down and said: 81
am 80 done out that I al go no further;
you u on and catch that fellow" point
ing to a fugitive running q short distance
ahead. But the man saw the design, and
with a great oath declared that he had
him now and meant to keep him. Poor
But1um was allowed q very brief time to
rest, and then was marched back again to
the prison. I have scarcely a doubt that
il he had not waited to unlock the doors
he would have made good his own escape.
Capt. Fry and myself were close to-
,yAfhar tn C,Oinr Aotxr TIA otu;o, ~ loi~-
q little in advance. At q glance he saw
thoro was no chance In the front yard
the way We had intended to take-und at
once turned to tho back door, which was
left open by the passage OF the rebel de-
serter. He got over the wall with little
effort. but finding himself chased as Buff
tum had been, no used u little strategy.
A good many shots were being fired in all
directions. and he suddenly threw up his
hands and fell fiat. Those who were fol-
lowing him passed on after unwounded
game, and when the way was clear he
arose and resumed his course. Flo was
seen again and had q most desperate
chase, but reached the shelter of the
friendly woods.
At no time in all my southern expe-
riencc did I find defective vision to be
such a dreadful misfortune as just now.
My eyes were easily dazzlcd by Il sudden
increase Of light, and as l came out of the
obscurity into the broad light, for somc
seconds I could scarcely see at all. In
this interval l was parted from Fry by
running to the front door according TO
our original plan. There were two
frightened guards In the gate tossing their
guns about and seeming not to know what
they should do. These were not danger,
GUS looking Il ] ran up to them-f0r now
tho power OF seeing had come back; but
just as l was about darting out Of the
gate l saw the stream OF guards outside.
They called on me to surrender, but l
wa not ready for that and hurried buck
into the yard. A sentinel tried to shoot
me at point blank range, but, fortu.
nately, his gun failed to 70 of.
got back into tho Jail and now started
u the back way-tho course
should have taken at flrst. There were 7
nunber Of guards In tho back yard by
this time, but In the confusion l got
through them and to the top of tho fencs.
What was my disnay to see a consider
able number Of self possessed soldiers
outside waiting with lifted guns to shoot
any OF whose head might appear above
the fence. Jumped very quickly down
on tho inside. Ono hope yet remained.
ran into tho building and out at the front
door, thinking that now the front gatc
might not be guarded, and that in this
least likely way I might slip through.
But 1t was vain; a large number Of SOL
diers were on the ground and they were
being carefully posted. saw that tho
first panic and all the advantages Of sur
prise were over. I ran back into the Jail
to try the bnck door once more, but q
sentinel was now standing at 1t and
several soldiers followed me into the
building. did not care whether they
fired or not, for I now utterly dcspaircd.
c up the stairway, the guards not
molesting me, and looked out at the chase
which was continuing over tho adjacent
bills.
1t was q Wild and exciting spectacle.
Company after company of soldiers came
up. Tho bells Of the city werc ringing,
and shots were being fired rapidly, while
loud commands and screams were min.
gled. feared that many of our number
were or soon would be killed. Then left
the window and went to the front room
where the prisoners Of war were, and to
my tn%expressible surprise found that they
had not gone out Of their room at ALI
They said that there was too much risk
In it-that it would not be possible for
any one to get of.
Parrot and Reddick were captured in
side the prison yard and Buffum outside.
Bensinger, who had been so gallant in the
struOyin in tho ipi1va ri ha6 a fourfuJ nv.